Loading and Unloading Students
Core concepts
Loading and unloading is the highest-risk part of the route. Master the stop sequence: check mirrors, signal, stop in a position that protects students, set the parking brake, place the transmission in neutral or park, activate the hazard lights, and only then open the door. Deploy the stop arm with the red lights. Count students as they exit and as they enter. Students who must cross the road cross in front of the bus, at a distance where you can see them, and only on your signal.
Know the danger zone and how to keep students out of it. Know the hand signal you give to release students to cross, and never wave a student across until you have confirmed traffic is stopped in both directions. Understand left-side and right-side stops: unloading on the right keeps students off the roadway, while left-side unloading requires extra caution. Know the rules for students who are late, who drop something, or who return to the bus - they must never chase the bus or retrieve items near the wheels.
Traps
Questions test the order of operations and the meaning of the stop arm and lights. A frequent trap is whether the driver may proceed once students are clear; the answer requires a final mirror check and a count. Another trap is the assumption that a student who dropped an item may retrieve it alone - the correct answer is to secure the bus and handle it yourself or direct the student safely.
Worked example
A student drops a notebook in the roadway after exiting. The correct action is to stop the student, secure the bus, and retrieve the item yourself or direct the student back only after traffic is controlled. Never let a student run back toward the bus.
Rule of thumb
"Count them out, count them in, and look again before you move."